How to feed dogs? That is the question!

      How to feed dogs? This is a big question which has no final answer. To be more exact there are a lot of answers. Some masters insist on natural products - meat, riсe, vegetables. Others prefer commercially prepared frozen, dry or canned food. Ones consider that it's better for a dog to eat the same food permanently, others support the idea of a great variety of meals. A lot of publications and internet materials can be found on this dramatic topic (see, for example, http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-nutrition/Dishing-Up-Variety).  

     But the trick is the issue of feeding becomes problematic mostly for advanced dog masters. A great number of ordinary people who have dogs do not think deeply about this matter and feed their pets with what they consider suitable. Very often masters share with their beloved four-legged creatures ice-cream, sweets, sweet cookies, even beer, and many other products that are far from being useful for animals. It's too difficult to refuse to give our dogs what we eat ourselves. Our pets are excellent actors and looked into our eyes as they are starving. It seems as an optimum way out to share with them fruits: apples, peaches, persimmmons, even water melons. However, the individual tastes of our pets shoud be taken into account :-))

To be a decoy in mondioring.

      To work as a decoy in mondioring requires to pass a special test (attestation) and to get a certificate. This test includes various exercises which are used in mondioring championship. There are three levels of competition in mondioring. The third one is the most complicated. Only experienced and most skillfull sportmen with their dogs participate in the third level. It is the dog of the third level which is used in the attestation. 

Mondioring - will it be widely popular?

       Mondioring is an exciting sport which requires well trained participants and their dogs (mostly malinois), as well as decoys or helpers of high professional skills: deep knowledge of dog’s behavior, intensive physical training, reaction and – a good sense of humor.

         Mondioring is a young sport. However, it takes its start in late XIX century when soldiers showed – for getting money -  defense skills of their dogs. Step by step some rules were developed and first competitions were organized.  In different countries – mostly in France, Belgium, Germany – very similar trainings were performed. To harmonize the principles and rules of these trainings, to increase their popularity European mondioring  clubs held a meeting. The new term – mondioring (world ring) – and unified rules emerged as a result of this conference. 

        Today the FCI publicized official rules of mondioring and every year two grand championships and a lot of minor competitions are held. A helper, or decoy (homme assistant – in French) should pass special tests (attestation) for working in mondioring. 

         Mondioring is a rather expensive and time-consuming sport. Will it be widely popular or it will be supported by a limited number of clubs?

What the great art would look without dogs?

       In yesterday's post I wrote about Constant Troyon, a French master of great talent. He worked a lot in the Pays-Bas and picked up the rare skill of Dutch painters to draw animals in movement and express their emotions. The idea to write a few words about Troyon was induced by our recent visit to the Moscow Gallery of the European and American art of the XIX and XX centuries. Actually there is  only one canvas of this painter - "The running dogs". 

       However, it made me remember a lot of pictures where we can find figures of dogs. Why artists refer so often to dogs, while there a lot of other animals who live with us, cats, for example? We can find dogs in a great variety of painted scenes. In the Royal palace as on the Velazquez's canvas, or with children who are dragging a heavy cask of water (Perov). A dog quitely lies with a sleeping girl (Deriy), supports silently boy's tricks (Makovskiy), or follows an old warrior till his final hour (Durer). Images of dogs can strengthen the main idea or atmosphere of the picture: loneliness, quietness, despair or  easiness. Quite often a dog is painted as the only true friend - as for young sons of Edward IV, imprisoned in the Tower (Delaroch). 

       Indeed, dogs are always with us, even in most dramatic moments of our life. May be it would be fair to always  remember about it. 

Dogs & Landscapes

Visiting art galleries and exhibitions do you pay any attention to images of dogs on pictures? Figures of dogs can be found on various kinds of canvases: devoted to ancient myths, battles, on family portraits, landscapes,  etc. Artists painted dogs to express a peaceful and quiet atmosphere or dynamic movement and vivid emotions. Constant Troyon, a painter of great talent, was one of those who knew animals, dogs in particular, and had a rare skill of drawing them.

How to develop contacts and mutual understanding with your dog.

      Coming home after a hard working day or after a long trip we are looking forward how your four-legged friend will meet us, full of joy and energy. It's a well known adage that if one has no dog he comes to a house, with a dog one comes home. Our dog is happy to see us - that means for him or her playing, walking, training. For most of us walking with a dog is rather relaxing. 

       A walk can be an excellent opportunity to develop mutual understanding with a dog. The key point is always to keep in mind that your are a leader. So, offer your dog games and exercises, play with your dog, train him/her, always trying to focus your dog's attention on yourself. Such a walk is enjoyably for both - a dog and a master!  

Does your dog warn you about the rain is coming?

        We have two male dogs - a six year old Hanaan dog and a year old malinois. They are as a barometer for us, particularly the elder one. Sometime ago we noticed the a day before coming of a rainy weather he becomes more quiet and sleeps more, while normally he is very active. At first, when we spotted these changes we worried as thought that he was getting ill. However, watching these changes for some time we saw that they are related to weather. Now, right in the morning we can say - practically without a mistake, whether it will be rainy in the evening or next morning.  

       However, we thought that it is a rare thing with dogs and had no idea that it's quite normal unless we read an article by  Ralph Greco, Jr. “Dog Alerts Owner to Bad Weather” on Cesar Millan"s website. Here is an extract from this article:

"It’s less a canine “sixth sense” though, than it is a case of simple science. .A dog is more sensitive to the drop in barometric pressure and the shift in the static electric field that comes prior to climate changes. With severe weather imminent, like the often quick turn-about a tornado brings, or the severe conditions in the wake of an approaching hurricane, a dog will not only feel those acute changes in electricity and air pressure — all that much more acute in severe weather — but beyond warning their households, they have been known to seek shelter themselves." http://www.cesarsway.com